Murat entered first and announced Augereau. Bonaparte thanked Murat with a gesture, and intimated that he and Marmont should leave them alone. Bourrienne also rose to go, but Bonaparte detained him by a movement of the hand; he had no secrets from his secretary. Augereau entered. Bonaparte held out his hand to him, and motioned to him to sit down. Augereau sat down, put his sword between his legs, his hat on its hilt, his arms on the hat, and asked: "Well, general, what is it?" "It is," said Bonaparte, "that I want to congratulate you upon the fine spirit of your army corps. I stumbled upon a duel yesterday, when one of your soldiers was fighting a comrade from Moreau's division, because the latter had called him monsieur." "Ah!" said Augereau. "The fact is that I have some rascals who will not listen to reason on that score. This is not the first duel that has been fought for that very reason. Therefore, before leaving Vicenza this morning, I published an order of the day forbidding any man of my division to make use, either verbally or in writing, of the word monsieur, under penalty of being degraded from his rank, or if he were a common soldier, depriving him of the right to serve in the armies of the Republic." "Then, having taken this precaution," said Bonaparte, looking fixedly at Augereau, "you do not think, do you, that there will be anything to prevent your leaving your division for a month or two?" "Ah, ha!" exclaimed Augereau; "and why should I leave my division?" "Because you have asked my permission to go to Paris on personal matters of business." "And a little on your affairs, also, eh?" said Augereau. "I thought," said Bonaparte dryly, "that you knew no distinction in our affairs?" "No, no," said Augereau, "and you should be pleased that I am modest enough to be satisfied always with second place." "Have you not the second place in the Army of Italy?" asked Bonaparte. "To be sure; but I did a little something toward that myself, and circumstances may not always be so favorable." "You see," said Bonaparte, "that when you are no longer useful in Italy, or when opportunities are few, I find occasion for you to be useful in France." "Why? Tell me. Are you sending me to the assistance of the Republic?" "Yes, unfortunately, the Republic is in poor hands just now; but poor as they are, it still lives." "And the Directory?" "Is divided," replied Bonaparte. "Carnot and Barthélemy incline toward royalty, and they have with them, it must be confessed, the majority of the councils. But Barras, Rewbell, and La Reveillière-Lepaux stand firm for the Republic and the Constitution of the Year III., and they have us behind them." "I thought," said Augereau, "that they had thrown themselves into Hoche's arms." "Yes; but it will not do to leave them there. There must be no arms in the country that are longer than ours; and ours must reach beyond the Alps, and if necessary bring about another 13th Vendémiaire at Paris."